Fewer players will be around for the weekend at PGA Tour events starting next season.
The PGA Tour Player Advisory Council and Policy Board voted last month to reduce the 36-hole cut size from the top 70 players and ties to the top 65 players and ties starting with the 2019-20 season.
The new rule also eliminates secondary 54-hole cuts, which were used if there were 78 players or more who advanced after 36 holes of a tournament.
The adjusted cut line is the same size implemented by the Korn Ferry Tour and European Tour.
“The new regulation, which is consistent with the cut size on the Korn Ferry Tour, ensures a more manageable field on the weekend from a pace of play perspective and allows more opportunities to play in twosomes over the final two rounds,” PGA Tour spokesman Joel Schuchmann said. “The new structure also assists tournaments in a variety of ways from an operations perspective.”
Paul Casey, a member of the Player Advisory Council, was in favor of the change to eliminate threesomes and split tee times in the final 36 holes of tournaments.
“It’s a capitalist sport,” Casey told GolfDigest.com. “You play well, you do well.
“I’ve been on both sides of it, and I still firmly believe you make your own success, so I’m a fan of it. As long as we’re not taking away opportunities to get into events, and I don’t think this is taking away earnings or opportunities for players. This is the right thing to do. We have to protect the product. We have too many three-balls and two-tee starts on the weekend.”